Kid Galahad

The old Warner Brothers classic boxing story Kid Galahad was dusted off and rewritten to suit the Sixties and the talents of Elvis Presley. The man that's named Kid Galahad for the ring not only throws a mean punch, but he sings pretty good too.

Elvis is a soldier fresh out of the army and broke and arrives at Gig Young's training camp looking for any kind of work. The only work that Young has available is for a sparring partner and Elvis does more than spar. He flattens a heavyweight contender and Young's found himself a new prospect.

He needs one because he's into the bookies big time. And a couple of syndicate torpedoes working for gangster David Lewis have taken up residence at the camp. All this is dismaying girlfriend Lola Albright and sister Joan Blackman who Elvis takes a fancy to.

As is usual with Elvis films, manager Colonel Tom Parker got the best talent he could to support the King. Besides those names Robert Emhardt plays the camp cook and up and coming movie legend Charles Bronson plays Elvis's trainer. And you'll see a lot of familiar Hollywood faces as you do in all his films.

Not only the cast, but director Phil Karlson one of the best directors of noir ever, took charge. The scenes with the gangsters show Karlson's steady hand.

Oddly enough Elvis had no real hit songs come out of Kid Galahad, but makes up for it with one of his best acting jobs on screen. For fans of the King.

OK. So it's not "Gone with the Wind," but "Kid Galahad" is well written, fun, and lightly sprinkled with some very good songs (catch the twisting "I Got Lucky" and the front porch "This is Living" scenes.) "Kid Galahad" also boasts a strong supporting cast (look for a young Ed Asner in one his first screen roles;) Academy-Award winner Gig Young, Charles Bronson, and Lola Albright, in a surprisingly emotive role, add "punch" to what, on the surface, appears to be just another Presley vehicle. "Kid Galahad" also had the blessing of being completed before they counted the receipts of "Blue Hawaii." When the studio saw how much money they made off of "Blue Hawaii," the dye was cast; Elvis would be stuck doing "14 song travelogues" for another 7 years. "Kid Galahad" catches Elvis in good humor, shape, and voice; he was having fun...You will too.

Presley's first movies were arguably the best he made.Some of them were eminently watchable:"love me tender" "jailhouse rock" "king creole" "flaming star" -probably his very best- and at a pinch "Wild in the country".In almost all these movies ,there's a mother's loss (or absence).This permanent feature comes back in "Kid Galahad":the hero lost his parents when he was an infant.Besides ,as it is a remake ,we have at least a script ,which will cruelly lack in films to come.

"Kid Galahad" is never exciting though.The songs always come at the most awkward moment ,and as only Elvis sings -his female partners contenting themselves with looking languorously at the star-,one can hardly call that (and all Presley's subsequent flicks)musicals.And the songs are not particularly memorable;only the peppy "I got lucky" and the romantic " Home is where the heart is" stand out.Whereas songs make sense in "jailhouse rock" or " king creole" ,where Elvis portrays singers ,they do not fit in a boxer's tale .Watchable because of the lovely pictures and the good -but wasted-supporting cast including Gig Young,Charles Bronson,Lola Allbright.Love interest consists of an affair between Elvis and Young's kid sister .Willy (what a naughty boy!) does not want Rose to marry Walter!

This is about one of the coolest and mellowest movies Elvis Presley ever made. The music that Elvis performs is as mellow as the background music in the movie. It's packed with love, romance, and action. 3 important elements that makes a real good Elvis movie. I'm watching it right now and I just saw the part where Elvis polishes of the two hooldlums that busted Charles Bronson's hands. Now Galahad (Elvis) is up for the big fight of the season against Sugar Boy Romero. Who do you think shall win? I can only hope Elvis Galahad does.

This was an Elvis movie with some drama, some comedy, some music. It was a little more than the formula movies and had some good fights. Mushy Callahan a boxing coach who coached all the big stars into the 60s for fight movies said of all the actors he coached " Elvis was best, quick hands, knew karate and judo...."Great so-stars and scenery. If its not Rocky or even Rocky 5 its an enjoyable escape. The few songs are pleasant including "I Got Lucky" and "A Whistling Tune" Reportedly Charles Bronson was not very friendly to Elvis. Joan Blackman also made "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis. If you want a diversion on a rainy Sunday this is a possibility.